<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Grounded by theemdash</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24173983">Grounded</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/theemdash/pseuds/theemdash'>theemdash</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Five Kisses Across Time [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Banter, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Home, Homecoming, Kissing, M/M, Post-Civil War (Marvel), Teasing, Wakanda (Marvel)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:28:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>788</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24173983</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/theemdash/pseuds/theemdash</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Before now, coming back from a mission never felt like coming home, but when Bucky's waiting by his Wakandan hut, goats and sun-touched grass around him, Steve can't help admitting he knows where he belongs.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Five Kisses Across Time [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1741873</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>108</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Grounded</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written as a response to Get Your Words Out 2020 Yahtzee; <b>Prompt:</b> Tinkle</p><p>Thanks to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/sopdetly/">sopdetly</a> for betaing and look, I finally gave you something nice and soft.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>2017</b>
</p><p>"Took that entry a little fast, Rogers." Nat arches a brow, giving Steve a knowing side-eye he chooses to ignore.</p><p>"Took it like usual." Steve flicks off a warning chime and levels off the quinjet, locking in their approved approach through Wakandan airspace. "Just like every other time coming home."</p><p>"Home?" The word twists in her mouth, half-amusement, half-wonderment. Steve's not the only one unfamiliar with that word.</p><p>"You know what I mean," he says.</p><p>Since 1943, "home" has been temporary. It's been a moving camp along the front lines, temporary housing provided by (and bugged by) SHIELD, a place for Steve to sleep at night, somewhere he's usually abandoned within two years. The constant change is part of what makes him a good soldier. He's never had time to sink roots, grow complacent, settle in. Moving on to the next war is easier when nothing anchors him. The only thing binding him is his uniform. </p><p>The lush, green fields touched by the midday sun stretch below them as Steve takes a wide turn to not disturb the goats. The trees bow at their approach, dust kicking up in whirlwinds when Steve lands the bird. A figure appears at the top of the path, rust robes covering his body, a blue scarf knotted over his missing arm, hair pulled away from his face but catching in the wind. Steve's heartbeat picks up just seeing Bucky standing there, waiting.</p><p>"Yeah, I know what you mean by home." Natasha gives Steve a pointed look, and he rolls his eyes but can't stop the smile sneaking in under his beard.</p><p>He unstraps in a hurry and grabs his duffle as the ramp lowers. "I'll see you in a few days?"</p><p>"You're not coming up to the palace for dinner? T'Challa said there's a feast."</p><p>Steve turns to face Nat, bag over his shoulder, grin on his face. "I thought you understood I've already got a feast waiting for me."</p><p>Nat's eyes widen. "Rogers! <i>Scandalous.</i> Can't believe you kiss Barnes with that mouth." Her lips twitch in a smile, and Steve can't help thinking she's happy for him. He has some idea now of why she kept trying to set him up. Only recently did she understand why her suggestions never worked.</p><p>"I'll tell Buck you said hi." His feet touch the grass, and like that, Steve feels connected again.</p><p>He cuts across the field, grass coming up to his thighs and brushing against his tactical gear. Every step releases an earthy-scent that is like nothing found in New York or D.C., or even the endless fields of Italy. They may have Brooklyn in their blood, but Steve never questions why Bucky likes it here. His strides lengthen as he gets closer, smile growing wider when Bucky raises a hand in greeting. </p><p>"Hey, old man." Bucky shades his eyes, the shadow falling to his nose, but his mouth is pink and relaxed, shaping the taunt.</p><p>"How are the goats?"</p><p>"Good. Steve keeps headbutting the tree."</p><p>Steve shakes his head and laughs, taking the last few steps up to Bucky as he teases, "I can't believe you named your favorite goat after me."</p><p>He scoffs, but says perfectly deadpan, "Who said he was my favorite?"</p><p>Steve drops his bag and closes the distance between them, cupping Bucky's cheek and pulling him in for a kiss. Bucky's arm wraps Steve's waist, and Steve holds their bodies close together. His heart pounds in his chest, and when they're this connected he thinks he can hear Bucky's heartbeat trying to match his. They never quite synch, but they echo; Bucky's heart chasing Steve's, even after all this time.</p><p>Bucky tilts his head, drawing Steve deeper, and Steve sinks into him, roots spreading, heart slowing. Bucky would laugh at him if he told him Bucky feels like home. </p><p>Steve slides his hand between the folds of Bucky's robes, sneaking his way in as he always does, and feels Bucky's body jump at the sudden skin-on-skin.</p><p>Bucky smiles under Steve's mouth, and whispers between kisses, "You punk."</p><p>The quinjet takes to the air again, the windchimes going nuts in the trees. Steve holds tighter to Bucky as if for a moment he's forgotten that they won't get blown away.</p><p>Buck takes a step back, letting Steve slide through his hand until their fingers catch. "C'mon, I want you out of that gear. No wars to fight out here, Stevie."</p><p>"Maybe about what you name your goats." The grin he gets in return is worth everything, and Steve follows Bucky, eyes on his love, but he listens for the quinjet departing and waits for the windchimes to settle and for all his super-soldier senses to finally ease.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The fics in this series can be read stand-alone, but there is an emotional arc across all five stories.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>